As we continue to just pillage the Norfolk Admirals for bodies to fill our roster in order to keep pace with the trades that Yzerman has been making, the Lightning get yet another win. This is all without the help of Lecavalier who is out with an upper body injury of some sort. Tonight was the game of really early period goals and really late period goals. Let's do a quick picture recap of the nights events.

The game started quick with a powerplay goal by our long-haired golden boy Steven Stamkos just 28 seconds in:

That's number 41 fans.

Late in the 1st period Stamkos ups the lead by scoring his 42nd goal of the season:

This guy is unstoppable.

If I ever start tucking my t-shirt into my pants and wrapping my sweatshirt around my waist like the lady on the left there, please commit me for having no fashion decency.

40 seconds into the 2nd period Saku Koivu scores to make it 2-1

But a goal by Purcell two minutes later gives the Lightning the game winner and gives Purcell his 15th goal of the year:

It also gives him one of the most awkward victory photos ever.

Speaking of weird photos, this one of the guy working some voodoo magic on Niklas Hagman is a bit off.

Looks like he's trying to pet him. Creepy

Bobby Ryan scores to make it 3-2 late in the 2nd but they don't tie up the game in the third and the Lightning win 3-2.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired forward Brendon Segal from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Matt Fornataro today, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced.

Segal, 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, has played in 53 games with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League this season, collecting 13 goals and 25 points, to go along with 63 penalty minutes. Segal ranks fourth on the IceHogs in goals and is seventh in points.

The Richmond, British Columbia native has played in 92 career NHL games with the Lightning, Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings, collecting 11 goals and 22 points. He played in two games with Tampa Bay during the 2008-09 season, including his NHL debut on March 3 versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was originally drafted by the Predators in the fourth round, 102nd overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired a first-round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft as well as defenseman Sebastien Piche in a three-team trade today, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced. The Lightning traded forward Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Kyle Quincey. Tampa Bay then sent Quincey to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for their first-round pick and Piche.

The Lightning now have two first-round picks in 2012 along with a maximum of four and a minimum of three selections in the second round.

Piche, 6-foot, 202 pounds, has played in 42 career AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, recording five points (0-5-5). This season he has played in 22 games, notching three assists. Piche signed with the Red Wings as a free agent on April 12, 2009.

Mattias Ohlund has played not one game this season. He may never play another in his career, but he's not going down without a fight. He previously went arthroscopic surgery during the summer that helped on his right knee but not on his left. Today it was announced that he will undergo major surgery on his left knee, which maybe his best hope at saving his career.

The complicated procedure performed by noted orthopedist Anthony Miniaci will use a thin layer of titanium to resurface the bottom of the femur behind the kneecap. That should create a cushion where cartilage that usually covers the bone has flaked off to such an extent there is painful bone-on-bone rubbing at the patellofemoral joint.

There is no timetable for his rehab, only that this will take months not weeks. And he may never player again, but he says "I don't know if I want to put it in those terms," he said. "But this is a major procedure. Everybody seems quite optimistic I'm going to get better."

Apparently he has become quite the assistant while watching games in the press box, but doesn't think of himself as more than just a player "I'm not a coach. I'm a player," Ohlund said. "I watch the games like every other player who watches games. If they ask me for some input, I'm happy to give it. But clearly, I'm not a coach."
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NHL.com had a great post on Pavel Kubina leaving the Lightning and how it was an emotional departure for the vereran on his second stint with the Lightning.

Here is an exeprt from the article:

"Steve (Yzerman) brought me to the office a couple of days ago and asked me for a list of five teams," Kubina said. "He said, 'We would like to move you,' and after that he sent me home."

Kubina never supplied the list, but the trade came about quickly anyway.

"I was just sitting home, waiting for what was going to happen. I could have come up with a list of five teams but I didn't do it," Kubina said. "I could have waited another seven days to do that, but when I spoke to Steve (Yzerman) about Philly, I thought it was the right thing to do.

"He told me there was a great offer coming from Philadelphia and after that I thought about it: it's a great team, a mix of young players and stars and obviously players like [Flyers forward Jaromir] Jagr, and it's a very good team. I thought about it and talked to my family. I love playing hockey and it's another chance for me to go and play for a great team and a Stanley Cup contender and be in the playoffs again."

He was very honest in saying that he thought the "Lightning are getting a lot for me". "I'm 34 years old and they got a second and a fourth round pick, so that's a lot for me." (NHL.com) For that honesty and his hard work with the team, I wish only the best of luck for him. He was a gamer and played a physical style that I think has gotten overlooked during the past two seasons. We've talked a lot about Hedman's improvement and Brewer's impact, but a lot can be said for Kubina coming bac to sign with the team he get drafted by.

He didn't mince words when talking about talking about coming back or his exit out, and I feel like there is a mix of anger and dissappointment when he says this about how he saw his career ending:

"To be honest, when I signed to come back here (in 2010) I had better offers from other teams; more years and for more money, and I took this deal because this team belongs to my heart and I spent so many great times here. I was drafted by Phil Esposito (seventh round in 1996), then we struggled so much for a few years -- I had a chance to grow up in the NHL and play here for around 700 games. I grew up as a player and then we won the Stanley Cup and I made so many good friends here, so many friends for life. I met so many good people, it's hard to leave and like I said, this team will always belong to my heart.

"I always thought this team, even when we were out of the playoffs by eight or ten points, I still hoped that we would make the playoffs. This is a great group of guys and we proved it last year; this year was pretty much the same team. We struggled this year, but this team is still fighting for a playoff spot and now they are only six points out and they have a great shot at it, so I was a little disappointed that Steve lost the patience and the hope for us."

If he does well in Philly, we may still see Kubina in the future, though in a Flyers jersey. Today in the Philly blog Broad Street Bull, he says “If I play well for this team and they want me, I don’t want to go anywhere and test the water,” he said. “That is the way I am and hopefully it will go that way.”no comments

I'm honestly not sure how much time I want to invest in getting to know a get that was traded to the team just because the Flyers needed to get under the 50 player limit, but maybe I'll eat my words in a few seasons?

The news broke a little bit earlier tonight that Kubina had been traded, just before the puck drop for tonight's game against the Caps. But it seems like all the details are now in on the trade that sends Pavel Kubina to the Flyers for a second-round draft pick in 2012 or 2013 (Florida's choice since this is where the pick comes from), a fourth-round draft pick in 2013 and left winger Jon Kalinski.

According to Cristodero's twitter, Kubina never submitted his list of 5 teams he'd accept a trade to but just agreed to waive his NTC to go to the Flyers. Kubina could have been a great addition to a number of teams but it was rumoured that the two teams that were interested of late was Philadelphia and Detroit.

Kalinski has played 40 games this year with the Adirondack Phantoms in the AHL and has had 9 goals and 12 points. He'll add depth to the Lightning and report directly to the Admirals. He has had 22 games of NHL experience under his belt. As for draft picks the team will now have either three or four second-round picks in the 2012 draft depending on what Florida decides. This pick comes from the Versteeg deal and Florida will have until the start of Day 2 of the 2012 draft to decide on whether the pick is for 2012 or 2013.no comments

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